Poetry Pea - haiku and other English Language Japanese short forms

This week on Poetry Pea, we're revisiting one of the highlights from our much-loved reading series.
Join acclaimed poet Lorraine Padden as she reads from her beautiful collection Upwelling, sharing poems rich in observation, memory and the quiet moments that so often inspire haiku and related forms.
Whether you're discovering Lorraine's work for the first time or returning to this favourite episode, it's the perfect opportunity to enjoy a thoughtful poetry reading and celebrate the craft of concise, image-rich writing.
As Poetry Pea takes a gentle summer stroll through the archives, we're delighted to bring this memorable reading back to you.
If you enjoy the podcast, please follow, leave a review, and share it with your poetry-loving friends. Your support helps Poetry Pea continue to champion haiku, senryū, tanka and haibun from poets around the world.

Join us for a special Poetry Pea Salon recording featuring Reid Hepworth reading from her award-winning collection, The Improbability of Sea Monkeys.
Reid's book has received an HSA Merit Book Award, recognised for its evocative haiku and haibun, its honest exploration of identity and memory, and its vivid portrayal of growing up in the 1960s and 70s.
In this Poetry Pea Salon event, Reid shares her poems and the stories behind them.
📖 About the collection:
The Improbability of Sea Monkeys is a deeply personal journey through childhood, history, identity and belonging, told through the precise and powerful lens of haiku and haibun.
For a link to Reid Hepworth's award-winning collection: see the show notes.
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In this episode of Poetry Pea, the leading English-language haiku podcast, Patricia asks can a single line hold an entire world?
In this special Poetry Pea podcast, we explore the art of the one-line haiku and senryū through a carefully curated selection of original poems chosen from our latest submission period.
Writing a successful one-line poem is far more challenging than it appears. In this episode you'll hear the poems selected for publication, discover why some stood out from hundreds of submissions, and listen to commentary exploring what makes an effective one-liner.
This episode also features:
Judges' Choices nominations from Clive Grewcock, Lee Hudspeth, Johnny Moran and David Green
Commentary from the Poetry Pea editorial team member and guest contributor Lev Hart
Insights into the craft of contemporary haiku and senryū
Whether you're an experienced haiku poet or just beginning your journey, these original poems demonstrate the precision, surprise and resonance that make one-line haiku so compelling.
Poetry Pea is one of the world's leading podcasts dedicated to haiku, senryū and Japanese short-form poetry, featuring poetry readings, interviews, craft discussions and inspiration for writers at every stage.
Poet's featured today:
John S Green
Clive Grewcock
Sheikha A
Susan Andrews
Cynthia Anderson
Emil Karla 
Peter Jastermsky
Adele Gallogly 
Steve Bahr
Gavin Austin
Deborah A Bennett
Rowan Beckett Minor
Jill Muhrer
Michael Muller
Stephanie Zepherelli
Lee Hudspeth
Jacek Margolak
Neena Singh
CX Turner
Jamie Wimberley
Sara Winteridge
Robert Witmer
Anna Yin
Nitu Yumnam
Pegah Rahmati Nezhad
Deborah Karl-Brandt
Lori Kiefer
Martina Matijević
Rob McKinnon
Lorraine Haig
Tony Williams
Rupa Anand
Kimberly Kuchar
Mary Oishi
Rebecca Upjohn
Katie Montagna 
Maria Cristina Pulvirenti
Jenny Shepherd
Norman Silver
Lisa Billa
Jennifer L Blanck
Marc Brimble
Mariangela Canzi 
Erin Castaldi
Tim Cremin
Christopher Seep
Laurinda Lind
Johnny Moran
petro ck
Tracy Davidson
Melissa Dennison
Joan C. Fingon
Mark Forrester
Denisa Hanšutová
Jon Hare
Maeve O'Sullivan
Florence Heyhoe
Louise Hopewell
Lakshmi Iyer
Celia Jenkins
Deborah Karl-Brandt
Mark Gilbert
Arvinder Kaur
Rohan Buettel
Richard Tice
Biswajit Mishra
David Green

In this episode, In this episode of Poetry Pea, the leading English-language haiku podcast, Patricia McGuire shares the haiku and senryū selected from the June 2026 Poetry Pea Video Prompt, beautifully curated by Lakshmi Iyer.
Expect poems filled with birdsong, summer heat, nesting season, squirrels, sparrows, warblers and the small moments that make haiku so memorable. Alongside the selected poems, Patricia also reads a collection of bonus sparrow haiku by contemporary poets and classics from Bashō and Buson.
If today's episode inspires you, why not join the next Poetry Pea Video Prompt? New prompts appear on the Poetry Pea YouTube channel almost every month, and your haiku could be featured on a future Poetry Pea Podcast and published in the Poetry Pea Journal.
Whether you're an experienced haiku poet or just discovering the genre, this episode is a joyful celebration of observation, nature and the Poetry Pea community.
Poets featured:
Neena Singh
Ralph Mathews
Alicia Samson
Rupa Anand
Rupa Anand
Reid Hepworth
Vaishnavi Ramaswamy
Susanne Urowitz
Seamus O' Connor
Mona Bedi
Melissa Dennison
Joanna Ashwell
Mary Oishi
Joshua St. Claire
Jo Balistreri
Buson, Trs Michael Haldane
Keith Evetts
Bruce H Feingold
Bill Fay
Craig Kittner
Isabel Caves
Kristen Lindquist
David Oates, PPJ
Sankara Jayanth
Basho, Trs David Landis Barnhill

In this episode of Poetry Pea, the leading English-language haiku podcast, Patricia asks what makes a haiku a haiku? Is there really a difference between traditional and contemporary haiku, or have we complicated something that was once quite simple?
In this episode of the Poetry Peacast, Patricia explores the essential elements of the Japanese haiku tradition, discussing the must haves of haiku.
Drawing on the work of Haruo Shirane, William J. Higginson, Michael Dylan Welch and Robert D. Wilson, she examines why seasonality matters, how the cut creates resonance, and why these techniques continue to give haiku their unique emotional power.
Along the way, Patricia analyses poems by Buson, Bashō, Den Sutejo, Katayama Yumiko, Don Baird, Neena Singh, Meera Rehm, Bruce H. Feingold and Bisshie, sharing practical insights that will help you read and write stronger haiku.
Whether you're new to haiku or a long-time practitioner, this thoughtful discussion invites you to reconsider what truly defines the genre.
In this episode:
What kigo really contributes to a haiku
The purpose of the kireji, or cut
Why sensory imagery matters
Close readings of classic and modern haiku
Practical inspiration for your own writing
Subscribe to the Poetry Peacast for weekly episodes exploring haiku, senryū, tanka, haibun and the craft of Japanese short-form poetry.
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show notes